Small Talk with New Rockabye Baby Contributor

Posted by 32 on October 18, 2013

It's time for another edition of Small Talk, our column that features different personalities we dig, giving us the lowdown on their lives and loves with their little ones.
We're over the moon excited to introduce today's guest, Shannon Nering. She will be joining the Rockabye Baby Crew as a regular contributor to the blog!
Without further ado, we introduce you to Shannon Nering . . .

About Shannon

The ultimate try-and-do-it-all mom who's juggling screaming children, vacillating career cache, sexy wif'ing, skinny jeans and sagging body parts, while trying to be the best parent she can be without turning herself into a pretzel. MaMa GoGo is Shannon Nering, who gets her kids to school on time (barely), plays nice with the neighborhood moms (mostly) and is obsessed with health and nutrition (minus bonbon binges). She's a former reporter and accomplished TV director and host who combines journalistic curiosity with innate performance and skill. And she writes. Check out Reality Jane

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[left]How would you describe your style of parenting?Hurricane Hazel! :>
That's hard to answer. Sometimes I'm thoughtful, casual, even calm, and sometimes the opposite. For me, parenting depends on the nature of the kids and the moment. Creativity goes out the window when they just need to listen! I do what the situation demands. And when there is no "situation" - I hope my style is open-ended, rich with teaching moments and loving without being too precious. I tell them: take risks, try new things, express yourself, dig in, think, bounce, discover, be curious, go-for-it. Life should not be bubble-wrapped. If it weren't so un-PC, I'd let my kids (5&8) walk to school alone - but alas, "not cool lady!" I drive them. And, at the end of the day, if they complain about my "style", I say, "I'm sorry, I'm flawed and just know I love you to infinity and back, no matter what."
My neighbor once told me, "Doesn't matter what you do, how you parent, your kids will still bitch about you in therapy." So I try not to sweat it - love them, do my best in the moment, be aware - that's all I got.
What are 5 things you can't live without?
-Yoga, movement, exercise of some sort, I go crazy when I'm still for too long.
-My bevvies: strong, sweet, creamy coffee and herbal tea (Candy Cane Lane fave), I double fist these all day...
-Sweatpants, flip-flops, comfy gonch and a cashmere v-neck
-A book that inspires
-A pen (or a keyboard) and a blank page
What are 5 things you CAN live without?
-What's Hot & What's Not lists. Buh-bye. Don't tell me what/who to like.
-Technology - every once in a while, just turn it off already.
-Traffic, mobs, slow drivers in the fast lane, really loud noises.
-Moms who are unwittingly turning their kids into mini-douche-bags.
-Plastic - at least, I'd like to try to live without it.
What are 5 things your kids can't live without?
It changes with the season. Currently...
The five year old: lizards and snakes, drawing, sweet treats, rocks and crystals, hugs.
The eight year old: Minecraft, his friends, soccer and skateboarding, Nerf guns, hugs.
[/left][right]Have to ask...What music are you listening to now? And how does music inspire what you do?
When I listen, I listen intensely, so music needs to suit my mood. I beeline out of any shop that cranks techno. But there is so much I like: The Cure, Guess Who, Sublime, the Eels, Jack Johnson, Leonard Cohen, classic rock, disco, show tunes, Zeppelin, and all those smoky voiced ladies-Adele, Amy Winehouse, etc.-bring it on.
And, when I can, I sit down and play the piano, and sometimes even sing quietly to myself. I love that I'm able to do that, and that I stuck with the years of lessons despite sometimes hating it. It's so wonderfully cathartic. Sometimes the kids do Freeze Dance while I play - so cute - I conveniently "freeze" whenever I make a mistake, they'll soon be on to me.
If you were to choose a different occupation what would it be?
Medicine Woman/Healer/Dr. Quinn. I love traditional healing: nature, food, herbs, ayurveda, yoga... the miracle that is our brain/body fascinates me.
OR - A dancer. To move like the girls on So You Think You Can Dance must be the ultimate rapture, throw some singing in and WOW.
What can Rockabye fans look forward to in your posts?Sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows, lemon drops and ... kidding.
Lots. Answers. No, questions. No, both. Candid chit-chat about figuring sh#*& out: the world of motherhood, balancing career and me-time, husband and kids, expectations, friends, other mothers, what drives/hurts/inspires, confusion, clarity, intensity, silliness, opposites, synonyms, color, crazy and stuff that matters.
Imagine a giant scribble with lots of colors and intersecting lines, straight, curved, spirals, blobs, zig-zags, all over the place... yet it works. That's it.
Keep up with Shannon on her blog, Twitter and FacebookAnd be sure to check back to the blog for more from Shannon!
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